Ontario Sports Betting
Sports betting is legal and live in Ontario. Provincial authorities have licensed 27 online sportsbooks so far — including BetMGM, Caesars, theScore Bet, BetRivers, FanDuel, DraftKings and PointsBet — and more could follow.
Top sportsbook apps in Ontario 2023
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IN ONTARIO
Contents
Is sports betting legal in Ontario?
Yes. Bettors may wager through a number of online sportsbooks, most of which have apps, as well. Betting is also legal via Ontario Lottery and Gaming’s many retail outlets and its sports betting app, ProLine+.
There are also 10 casinos in the province that offer in-person sports betting via kiosks and one casino, Caesars Windsor, that contains Ontario’s only full-service sportsbook so far.
What’s happening in ON sports betting right now
- January 26, 2023 — According to iGaming Ontario, the province had a 71 cent increase in total gaming revenue (from sports betting, iCasino and online poker) in the third fiscal quarter. Gaming revenue was $457 million in Q3 compared to $267 million in Q2.
- January 19, 2023 — After nearly two months, Ontario bettors are again allowed to wager on UFC events. The AGCO had pulled UFC off the approved list of sports in December amid a growing integrity scandal.
- January 11, 2023 — Ontario’s first full-service retail sportsbook, the Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars Windsor, opened officially to the public. The Caesars Windsor is the largest casino resort in Canada.
- December 28, 2022 — Another UFC fighter, Jeff Molina, received a suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission amid the promoter’s integrity concerns. Ontario continues to monitor the situation before reinstating bets on the MMA events.
- December 20, 2022 — Bet99 has partnered with the National Hockey League after moving into the regulated Ontario commercial gaming market. The partnership includes a free-to-play game.
- December 12, 2022 — Despite efforts by the UFC to clear up its recent integrity issues, Ontario regulators have kept its events off of its approved betting for sportsbooks. The regulators said they expect to keep working with sportsbooks and UFC to get it back on the menus.
- December 1, 2022 — The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario removed UFC events from the menu of approved betting for Ontario sportsbooks. The decision comes after integrity concerns emerged around a UFC bout last month.
- November 28, 2022 — The Mohawk Council of Kahnawàke announced it launched a constitutional challenge against iGaming Ontario and the Attorney General of Ontario. The MCK believes the new gaming sector in Ontario infringes on First Nations rights.
- November 9, 2022 — Ontario Lottery and Gaming announced a partnership with Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares. Proline+ was the first online sportsbook in Ontario and has partnerships with the major North American sports leagues.
Comparing sportsbook apps in Ontario
The list of available sportsbooks in Ontario continues to evolve. For years, the only legal option for Ontarians was parlay-style bets on ProLine. However, starting in April 2022, commercial books have been able to apply for licenses and offer a full range of bets in the province. Here’s a look at the top Ontario sportsbook apps available now:
1. DraftKings Sportsbook
One of the top sportsbooks in North America, DraftKings combines a sleek app with a great menu of standard bets, props and live bets. Additionally, with DraftKings betting pools, friends can compete for prizes.
- App rating: 4.7 (iOS), 4.6 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Fast-moving app that’s great for live betting.
2. BetVictor Sportsbook
This Gibraltar-based sports betting app is quickly making its mark in Ontario with its user-friendly platform and generous odds. While the customer service is lacking for this sports betting app, the solid list of betting options and intuitive interface make up for it.
- App rating: 4.7 (iOS), 4.1 (Android)
- Key takeaway: User-friendly app.
3. BetMGM Sportsbook
One of the largest legal online sportsbooks, BetMGM offers a deeper selection than many of its competitors. It also features an “edit my bet” feature that allows you to adjust open bets on the fly by adding money to an existing bet, adding legs to a parlay, etc.
- App rating: 4.7 (iOS), 4.5 (Android)
- Key takeaway: “Edit my bet” can provide additional flexibility.
4. BetRivers Sportsbook
Quickly gaining attention through an expansive marketing campaign in Ontario, BetRivers has a strong selection of prop bets for most games. The app itself can be a bit clunky, but it offers quick payouts and a good menu of betting options.
- App rating: 4.1 (iOS), 4.3 (Android)
- Key takeaway: The app needs some work, but it pays out winnings quickly.
5. Bet365
An international sportsbook now available in Ontario’s legal market after years in the gray, Bet365 is best known for its selection of live wagers from across the world. The online book will offer some obscure sports that are harder to find in Canada as well as some options to edit bets.
- App rating: 4.6 (iOS), 3.4 (Android)
- Key takeaway: Good list of rare sports and live betting options.
Latest Ontario sports betting news
Ontario Sports Betting Regulator Reinstates UFC Action
After nearly two months, UFC events are back on the menu for Ontario sports betting. On Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario announced ON sports betting operators could…
How to get started at a sportsbook app in Ontario
For those who’ve never bet on sports online or have only used ProLine+ so far, most major sportsbook apps have similar procedures for new users. Creating an account should take only a few minutes, but be prepared to provide additional documents to verify your identity if necessary. For the most part, here’s what to do:
- Download and install the app.
- Register for an account.
- Make your first deposit.
- Place your first wager.
Whenever you decide to make your first deposit, you’ll find several options available. Electronic checks, credit cards, debit cards and PayPal will generally all work to add money to your account, depending on the book.
Ontario sports betting law
Sports betting has been legal in Ontario and Canada for decades, but most of that time it was only available in the form of parlay-style bets via provincial lotteries.
That changed when Canada’s Parliament passed Bill C-218 — the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act — on June 22, 2021, opening the door for provinces to allow single-game sports betting.
Then, in January 2022, Ontario announced that legal sports betting would launch on April 4, 2022. Several companies — such as Bet365, 888 and Unibet — that had previously operated in Ontario’s gray market made the jump into the white market in order to register with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Online sportsbooks must pay a $100,000 licensing fee and a tax rate of 20%, and they do not have to partner with a brick-and-mortar location. In all, 13 online sportsbooks launched on April 4, 2022, in Ontario.
Legal Canadian sports betting consists mainly of the Ontario market so far, with other provinces offering betting through sites associated with provincial lotteries, as Ontario did with ProLine.
What you can legally bet on in Ontario
Ontario’s sports betting rules are largely permissive so long as “the bet is not reasonably objectionable.” Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario standards apply to “all sports, esports, novelty, betting exchange and fantasy sports products, and includes various bet types such as single-event, in-game, pool, parlay and exchange bets.”
While it’s legal to bet on esports as sporting events, virtual sports count as online casino games under the regulatory guidelines. Note that cryptocurrency is not legal tender for sports bets in Ontario.
Full list of Ontario sports betting sites
We will continue to update this list should more sportsbooks launch in Ontario.
- 888 Sport
- Bally Bet
- Bet365
- Bet99
- Betano
- BetMGM Sportsbook
- BetRivers
- BetVictor
- Betway
- Bwin
- Caesars Sportsbook
- CanPlay Casino
- Coolbet
- DraftKings Sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook
- LeoVegas
- NorthStar Bets
- Partysports
- Pinnacle
- Play Fallsview
- PointsBet
- PokerStars Sports
- Rivalry
- Royal Panda
- Sports Interaction
- TheScore Bet
- Unibet
Legal gambling in Ontario
Ontarians have had some legal gambling options for decades. The addition of commercial online gambling sites is a recent expansion, but there are also plenty of gambling locations and venues in the province. Here are some of the options for Ontario residents:
| Casinos | Ontario is home to 29 casinos, though none are located in the city of Toronto. Some venues offer only slot machines and racetracks while others have slots, table games, bingo, poker and sports betting to varying degrees. |
| Live poker | Poker is available at select casino locations, including Casino Niagara and Caesars Windsor. |
| Lottery | Draw and instant-win games are available through official retailers, and draw games are available via online subscriptions. |
| Online casinos | Slots, table games and live dealer games are available through OLG.ca and many other online casinos such as Caesars and BetRivers. |
| Sports betting | Legal sports betting is available in Ontario through OLG’s ProLine+, licensed online books such as DraftKings and BetMGM, and at 11 retail locations. |
| Horse racing | Ontario is home to 15 live racetracks and several off-track betting locations, each of which offers pari-mutuel wagering on domestic and international races. Ontarians also have options for online horse betting. |
| Bingo | There are dozens of bingo halls in Ontario, and most offer games the majority of weekdays and weekends. |
| Daily fantasy sports | While daily fantasy sports contests are legal in Ontario, it has been essentially shut down in the province since the two largest DFS providers, DraftKings and FanDuel, stopped offering free and paid contests before joining the regulated sports betting/online casino market. |
Where to bet on sports in Ontario
With online sports betting, you can bet anywhere in Ontario where you can find an internet connection. There are 27 licensed online sportsbooks in Ontario, most of which also offer apps for mobile betting. Otherwise, people in Ontario have a few options when it comes to betting on sports.
ProLine and ProLine+
The province’s legacy retail sports betting provider, ProLine, allows bettors to wager at approximately 10,000 locations across the province. You can bet in-store at authorized OLG retailers such as gas stations and convenience stores, or you can create a bet slip on the ProLine website and present the associated code at an OLG retailer. Additionally, the ProLine+ site and app let you bet online and via mobile devices.
Retail sports betting
There are 11 destinations, all at Ontario casinos, that offer some form of in-person sports betting. Great Canadian Entertainment runs 10 of these locations, and the Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars Windsor is the other.
Of the 10 Great Canadian Entertainment sports betting locations, four have dedicated sportsbook lounges called Great Canadian Sportsbooks. Those four lounges contain sports betting kiosks while offering food and bar service and an area to watch games. The other six locations simply have sports betting kiosks within the casino.
Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars Windsor is the only full-service sportsbook in Ontario, although additional options could open, as well.
Full-service sportsbook:
- Caesars Windsor, 377 Riverside Drive E, Windsor
Sportsbook lounges:
- Pickering Casino Resort, 888 Durham Live Ave., Pickering
- Great Blue Heron Casino Resort, 21777 Island Road, Port Perry
- Elements Casino Brantford, 40 Icomm Drive, Brantford
- Shorelines Casino Belleville, 380 Bell Blvd., Belleville
Sportsbook kiosks:
- Casino Woodbine, 555 Rexdale Blvd., Etobicoke
- Elements Casino Mohawk, 9430 Guelph Line, Milton
- Elements Casino Grand River, 7445 Wellington County Road 21, Elora
- Elements Casino Flamboro, 967 Highway 5, Hamilton
- Shorelines Casino Peterborough, 3800 Fisher Drive, Peterborough
- Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, 380 Highway 2, Gananoque
Ontario vs. Pennsylvania and Michigan sports betting
Ontario is clearly the crown jewel for sportsbooks seeking to launch in Canada. The province is the country’s largest by population, with an estimated 14.8 million residents.
That would make it the fifth-most-populous US state, ranking above Pennsylvania’s 13 million residents. Only California, Texas, Florida and New York have higher populations.
Pennsylvania sports betting ranks third in handle ($18 billion) and revenue ($1.4 billion) behind New Jersey and Nevada if you measure from the fall of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018 until the end of 2022, but of course that’s giving it a head start on many states.
Ontario also shares a border with Michigan. Legal online sports betting in Michigan launched in January 2021, and with Detroit close to Toronto, it likely caught the province’s attention.
Pennsylvania and Michigan represent a study in contrasts about the way that regulators approach fees and taxation. Michigan set its license fee at $100,000, and it taxes sports betting at 8.4% (with an additional 1.25% for Detroit). Each Michigan sportsbook also has to pay $50,000 to the state each year. Pennsylvania, on the other hand, requires applicants to pay a $10 million fee and 36% of their revenue as taxes. However, the fee is a one-time charge; there’s no annual fee.
Ontario, for its part, has landed between those two approaches. Sportsbooks must pay $100,000 annually as a regulatory fee, which is more in line with Michigan’s approach. However, Ontario charges a 20% tax rate, which is much higher than what Michigan books have to pay, though still less than in Pennsylvania.
Popular sports to bet on in Ontario
Ontario is home to five pro teams representing the most popular team sports in North America. These five all garner a good deal of betting interest.
It’s no secret that Ontario — and all of Canada — is crazy about hockey. And despite their lack of recent success, the two NHL teams located in Ontario are among the most popular teams to bet on and root for in the province. The Toronto Maple Leafs in particular have a large fan base in the province, while the Ottawa Senators have a loyal, if smaller, following.
The Toronto Raptors and Toronto Blue Jays also draw a lot of interest representing Ontario and Canada in the NBA and MLB, respectively, while Toronto FC is the province’s main outlet for pro soccer fans.
NFL and CFL betting
While Ontario does not have an NFL team, the nearby Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions have fans in the province, as do other NFL teams to a lesser extent.
As for the Canadian Football League, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are known for their legion of diehards, while the other teams in the province — the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Redblacks — pale in comparison. The CFL is generally more popular in the Canadian West.
Ontario sports betting timeline
2022: At the end of January, iGaming Ontario announces that it anticipates a launch of online sports betting on April 4. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario approves online sportsbooks for eventual launch throughout early 2022.
As planned, Ontario becomes the first province in Canada to open its borders to commercial sportsbooks. The April 4 launch date includes BetMGM and Caesars, with an expectation for more than two dozen online books in the province.
By the end of 2022, 27 sports betting sites had launched in Ontario.
2021: C-218 — the single-game sports betting bill — clears Parliament. The bill receives full House approval in April, and it passes the Senate in June 2021. Individual provinces handle their own regulations, with an effective date of Aug. 27. At that point, many provincial lotteries begin to offer betting.
Ontario moves forward with draft regulations for an open market, with books like PointsBet, BetRivers and DraftKings gearing up for launch.
2020: Private member Kevin Waugh introduces C-218 in February, but there is little action in 2020. The bill doesn’t get its second reading until nearly a year later in February 2021.
One notable development in 2020 came in June when multiple professional leagues jointly issued their support of single-game betting in Canada.
2016: The decade’s second attempt to legalize single-game sports betting in Canada fails.
2012: An attempt to legalize single-game sports betting in Canada passes the House, but it goes no further. The Senate fails to act on the legislation for years.
2011: This year sees the introduction of an attempt to end the federal ban on single-game sports betting in Canada that would continue in 2012.
1992: ProLine officially launches in Ontario in October.
Ontario sports betting FAQ
Who can bet on sports in Ontario?
You need to be 19 or older and inside provincial borders to bet on sports online in Ontario.
Sportsbooks will check where you are through geolocation. The software will require you to verify your location through your device’s GPS or through a program that you download to your phone or computer. You won’t be able to bet otherwise.
Am I able to use my phone to bet in Ontario?
Yes. Your phone will work for sports betting anywhere you can get a Wi-Fi signal. Most sportsbooks offer a downloadable app.
Who oversees Ontario sports betting?
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is the regulator for Ontario sports betting along with its subsidiary: iGaming Ontario.
Where can I place a bet in Ontario?
You can wager online via more than two dozen sportsbook sites and in person through lottery retailers, at one retail sportsbook so far, or at kiosks in select casinos.
Can I play daily fantasy sports contests in Ontario?
While daily fantasy sports contests are legal in Ontario, it is not easy to join one, as top companies like DraftKings and FanDuel ended operations there ahead of the online sports betting launch in 2022.
Ontario sports betting regulations don’t allow shared liquidity with any other jurisdictions, so DFS contests need to be geo-fenced within Ontario. That rule essentially made it impossible for people in the province to participate, so the two major platforms shut down.